the process and materials

Yes, you read correctly, this painting is done on a piece of ceramic tile! I received this as a part of an initiative to, rather than dispose of additional construction material, give it to a better cause as we practice out three R’s. This planet is not going to last forever, but we must do our best to keep it safe and healthy as long as we can.

The tile I hand picked, from a small selection that was available, because of it’s interesting appearance. It was perfect for what I had planned for this piece and I was so excited I started on the piece almost immediately after receiving it! This tile made for a perfect under layer for the dark cloudy sky as it almost already looked like gray clouds on a rainy day! I began with clear gesso to prime the surface to receive the paint and quickly started adding in blues, grays and blacks. I couldn’t have asked for a better piece of material to do this painting on!

I posted these images in this format on my social media and asked if people liked the left or right. The majority agreed that the fire became more prominent in the image on the right. This was my intent as the fire is the focal piece in this painting. The difference was the lighting and sometimes that just makes all the difference. The fire here is as the last soldier standing after a prodigious battle. As the fire depicted here has outlasted the smoldering embers in the fire, so is our hope in a man who came to earth to be born, suffer and die as we all do and will eventually. This lasting hope is in my Lord Jesus Christ! He is the flame that shall not be extinguished by the troubles that rain down in this life and are dried up in the victory that has been brought by Jesus’ death on the cross of Calvary.. However, when the fire of Jesus’ earthly life was put out, just like the smoke rises from the fire, so did He ascend into Heaven and so shall I one day when I die.